At present, there have been many accidents caused by pedal misapplication between the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal. The National Police Agency statistics show that the number of the accidents caused by pedal misapplication was 6,546 (including 30 fatal accidents) in 2008 and 6,582 (including 33 fatal accidents) in 2009. Such many accidents occurred in one year due to pedal misapplication, only with cases which are clear to have been handled as an accident.
The reason of the increase in accidents caused by pedal misapplication may be explained as follows: A conventional car with a manual transmission (MT car) had a structure such that drivers operate three pedals with both feet, therefore the position of the pedals was easy to perceive by the relative position of the right and left feet and the accidents due to pedal misapplication rarely occurred. Whereas, in a car with an automatic transmission (AT car), which occupies the majority of the currently used cars, the pedals are operated by the right foot alone, therefore the positional relation between the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal is difficult to perceive. In particular, when the right foot once leaves the pedal or when, driving backward for example, a driver have to look back and forth and from side to side moving in a complicated way and twisting the body to greatly break the basic position, the driver often becomes unsure of the position of the pedal to be stamped on and thereby getting disturbed and confused. In such situations, accidents due to pedal misapplication are prone to occur. Consequently, in order to prevent such accidents, it is necessary to let drivers instantly and securely recognize the position of the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal.
The Patent Literature 1, for example, discloses a device for preventing pedal misapplication between the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal of an automobile, which has a flange or a plate that is high enough to be touched with a driver's shoe and provided at the left side of the brake pedal.
The Patent Literature 2 discloses a device for preventing accelerator pedal misapplication, which has a plate-shaped or bar-shaped projection that is as high as or lower than the brake pedal and placed above the middle of the accelerator pedal of an automobile with a gap allowing a foot to insert between the projection and the accelerator pedal.
In order to prevent pedal misapplication between the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal of an automobile, these prior arts have a structure such that a driver can recognize the position of the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal by touching the pedal with the foot to confirm the presence of the preventive device.
[Patent Literature 1]: Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. S38-10554 (See FIG. 3, FIG. 4)
[Patent Literature 2]: Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. H05-86658 (See FIG. 1 to FIG. 3)